For What Binds Us
by Alynna Peta
Summary: Yang was playing off her stubbornness as confidence, and Ruby wasn't sure if she appreciated that right now. "Well, you know what? I'm not. And you don't like hearing it, but this is a bad idea." "But it's our only idea and we're already this far. Let's go." Yang once again stomped ahead. "Just stick with me and we'll be fine." Summary likely to change as story progresses.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Ruby traded glances with her sister as they silently closed their father's bedroom door. Taiyang laid, slumped over towards his headboard, still clutching their family photo. Tan and white sheets pooled at the end of his bed, seemingly neglected for another night. Bottles littered the floor before him. By Ruby's guess, there were a few more than the night before so he'd probably be out for a while. The girls took that as a sure sign that he wouldn't be trying to get up any time soon.

They crept downstairs quickly, going for the bottom row of cabinets in their small kitchen. The almond themed doors creaked slightly as Yang's small hands swung them wide and she pressed forward to grab for their contents. Yang passed a backpack over to Ruby as she slung on one for herself. The taller girl grinned and whispered, "Aren't you glad I got us to hide these here yesterday?"

Ruby nodded but still shushed her. Yang had never been the quietest whisperer so she couldn't help but cast a glance back towards the stairs in anxiousness. Emptiness and silence met with her paranoid senses and she felt herself relax marginally. Their dad may be asleep at the moment, but there still wasn't any need to take any chances. She flanked her sister as they snuck out of the back door.

The night air was several degrees cooler than it had been inside the cabin. Ruby pulled her small cloak closer before looking to Yang and offering her some warmth. It wasn't much as her cloak really wasn't made to house two people, but it would have to be enough. Yang smiled but passed her up on the offer as she led them on. They'd gone over to the side of their home where they'd left a wagon full of 'supplies'. Fiddling with their wagon is where, for the fourth time in two days, Ruby hesitated. Silver pools flitted between their home and their things before landing on her sister again in doubt. Small hands tightened their grip on her cloak.

"Don't chicken out on me now."

"But are you sure we should be doing this?" Ruby started, fingers fiddled together as she tried and failed to match Yang's gaze. These actions together were a habit she had been trying to stop as Yang had told her before that the nervous ticks made her a terrible liar. Back then, in her sudden offense, Ruby had responded that it didn't matter if she couldn't lie anyway because she was just trying to tell the truth. The truth could hurt and she knew that well; she was just internally fussing over how to say what she needed to and how the other person would react to it, and that's how her worries presented itself. "Uncle Qrow is gonna be mad when he gets here tomorrow and we're not here. You know he doesn't like when we go anywhere by ourselves and when he finds out we're gonna be in trouble."

Yang rolled her eyes. "We'll be back before he gets here."

"You don't know that! We don't know how far this place is!"

"It'll be fine. We're leaving early, and I'm pretty sure it isn't that far away. Stop being such a scaredy cat! We're wasting time!"

"But Yang-"

"No! We are going!" Yang whisper-shouted, "We already talked about this! We have everything we need and it won't even take that long. We'll go, get my mom, bring her home, and she'll fix Dad. That's it. I'm the older sister here and I'm saying that we're going to do it. Now quit being a big baby and come on."

Yang stormed ahead, blond pigtails bouncing angrily on her shoulders, leaving Ruby to pout and grab the wagon. Behind herself, she could hear Ruby grumble about how she was only three and a half months younger, and how just because Yang was a little older than her that doesn't mean that she gets to boss her around or that she knows everything. Still, the redhead latched onto that wagon handle and trotted along. Rolling her eyes again, Yang just shook her head.

The girls took to the road, following it south in mostly silence. Ruby kicked a rock ahead of herself, using the small stone as a distraction as her thoughts drifted more and more into doubtful territory. Over the last few months, she'd found herself second-guessing and questioning things more often. The first time being the night Uncle Qrow had come over to give them the news about their mother. Whereas their father accepted everything almost painfully quickly, Ruby and Yang were more hesitant. But after another week, and the funeral falling three more days after that, she'd come to understand that it was the truth. Once Uncle Qrow said that he would try to be around more, again she had her doubts. Uncle Qrow was a hunter just like her parents, but unlike her parents, he usually went on missions that lasted for months on end. She'd asked him before if he would tell her stories about his adventures but none of those requests ever really panned out. He'd said that maybe when they were older he'd fill them in on some stuff if he felt like it. She took that answer as a hard no and stopped asking once their father began shutting himself off. Then Qrow got called away.

Things went on like that for a time; Uncle Qrow popping in and out for a week or two intervals before he'd have to go back to the field while their father became harder to talk to. Taiyang fell into drinking harder than Uncle Qrow had, according to Uncle Qrow that is. He'd told the girls that their father just needed time to think over some things and get back on his feet. He'd also told them not to worry too much and that he'd handle it. Well, Ruby felt like they'd been waiting forever but their father still hadn't changed. If anything, he's just gotten worse.

Then Yang had come along with her brilliant plan earlier in the week. The blonde was sure that if they could just bring Raven back then their father would get better. Ruby immediately had a feeling that things wouldn't be that simple. Raven had left years ago, giving birth to Yang and not even sticking around to see Ruby come along. They'd never met the woman and as far as she could tell, their parents hadn't seen hide nor hair of her since. The chance of them finding Raven was abysmal (she'd learned that word from Uncle Qrow), and the idea of convincing her to come back was probably even less than that. All of this she'd let Yang know and then had to deal with Yang brute forcing her way through the ensuing argument.

With the situation at hand being no different, Ruby wondered if this is what the rest of her life would feel like. Before their mother had left, she'd never really thought about how their ideas would pan out. She'd been more like Yang and just carried a go-with-the-flow attitude. Now she found herself to be skeptical of everything and every person she'd come into contact with, her family especially. Being in such a state of constant alert was tiring.

Remnant's shattered moon shone brightly on the island giving them more than enough light to follow their path but further deepening the shadows of the forest to their sides. That was another thing she worried about. Ruby was old enough to convince herself that she was no longer afraid of the dark, but the forest; its gloominess just felt like another thing entirely. Things were quiet, almost oppressively so; the girls' steps thudding softly on the dirt, with only the cadence of Ruby's kicks to beat off the distended the lack of words between them.

Ruby chewed at the thumbnail on her free hand while she followed Yang, the rock having been lost to a ditch some yards back now. She had stewed in the hush long enough for her doubts in the situation to become uncertainty in herself. The blonde was in a bad mood and it was her fault. Of that she was sure, and while she might have her doubts about that, they were doing this for Dad, so maybe Yang had a point. "I'm sorry, Yang."

The blonde hummed but didn't spare her a glance. Yang rolled a shoulder, in a sort of half shrug. "Don't worry about it. I'm not mad at you anymore anyway."

Ruby shot her back a look of disbelief. If that were true, then she wouldn't still be plodding away so far ahead of her. Yang and her temper; sometimes, Ruby really wanted to smack her.

Up ahead of them, a path split off, going into the forest. Coming upon it, they stopped. Ruby knew then where they were about to go and for a moment, her mind was not even having the idea of that action. As she gazed into the obscurity of their new path, she wondered if this was really worth it. Maybe they didn't need Raven, because looking back on the years they'd never needed her before. Maybe, instead of walking off into this nothingness, they could just go back home and figure out a way to take care of their dad themselves. There had to be something they hadn't tried before that could work.

Looking at Yang, she'd almost pouted. The sheer determination overshadowing Yang's slight hesitance spoke volumes on how the conversation would go if Ruby tried to talk her out of going through with this now.

They trade glances and Yang kicks at the dirt. "I think this is it," Yang says.

Ruby looks between her and the shadows again, clearly unwilling. "I mean... I guess we can try it," she pauses, "But I really don't know about this. I don't like it. It's really dark in there and we don't even know if Dad's old house would be this close to our home. I mean we don't even really know if they lived together in Patch. That picture could have been taken anywhere. Maybe we should think about this some more."

"Nope. This is the place. I'm sure of it." Yang was playing off her stubbornness as confidence, and Ruby wasn't sure if she appreciated that right now.

"Well, you know what? I'm not. And you don't like hearing it, but this is a bad idea."

"But it's our only idea and we're already this far. Let's go." Yang once again stomped ahead. "Just stick with me and we'll be fine."

The red-tipped brunette grumbled. The further on the path they traveled, the darker their surroundings seemed. It was almost like the woods were trying their best to fade into the shadows engulfing them. Soon, Ruby couldn't even distinguish the bark of a tree from the ink-like blackness thirty feet ahead of them.

She shook her head. She really didn't have a good feeling about any of this. They didn't know enough about anything they were trying to accomplish and charging headfirst into the woods, at night, was not a good idea. The only reason she's out here is that she knew Yang would just go on her own if she had said no. Uncle Qrow was going to kill them; that is, only if the Grimm didn't manage it first.

Stewing in her reluctance, Ruby hadn't noticed Yang come to a stop. The younger girl walked into the blonde, her nose colliding into blond locks and sending them both toppling to the ground. She rubbed her nose as she pushed herself off Yang and onto her knees off to the side. Great. Now her eyes were watery.

"Why'd you stop?"

Yang turned to her and the cautious look in her eyes had Ruby sitting up straighter. "Did you hear something?"

"No?"

Yang stood again, biting her lips for a moment, before seemingly shaking whatever she was thinking off. "Must've been nothing. Let's keep going."

That was... Odd. With how upset she was earlier, Ruby had expected her to at least yell at her for knocking them over. And if she was hearing things, then shouldn't they turn back instead of still heading forward? Granted, she hadn't heard anything herself, but she wasn't exactly paying attention either. Again, this was a bad idea.

She grabbed the wagon again and trotted to catch up with Yang, coming to her side. Ruby scowled at the nothingness ahead of them. There was no telling how long they'd been out here, walking down a dirt trail that led to goodness knows where to find a person who may or may not even be where they hoped she was. Maybe she would be more up for doing this if it were, oh she didn't know, the middle of the day when things were bright and sunny and she could see a bit more than what felt like ten feet ahead of them. It was all well and good for Yang to want to pretend to be fearless, but Ruby would rather not lie to herself. So in turn, she wouldn't lie to Yang either.

She came to a stop and dropped the wagon's handle, grabbing Yang's arm so that the girl would turn to look at her. Yang shot her an irritated expression but Ruby pushed on. "Let's head back."

Yang's eyes narrowed, lilacs hardening as she opened her mouth, but Ruby cut her off.

"No, I mean it, Yang. Let's go home," she pressed, "We've been out here forever and I really think we would have seen the house by now if it really was here."

"It could just be further down. The road hasn't ended yet."

Ruby growled, sounding about as menacing as a puppy, but it was enough to get her mood across. Yang yanked her arm back and clenched her fists at her side. She stepped forward, bringing a hand up to press her finger into Ruby's chest. The girls locked eyes, molten silver looking slightly upward into darkened lilac as they glared at each other.

"Why do you keep trying to back out of this?! If you didn't want to come, you should have just said no! I would have been just fine by myself!"

Ruby shoved her back. "No, you wouldn't've! You won't listen to me! I've been telling you this whole time that this is a bad idea, but you won't believe me. I'm not going to let you go off by yourself to get eaten by Grimm!"

Yang came close fast and shoved her harder, sending her to the ground on her backside, her backpack breaking her fall. "I wish I had left you at home!"

Ruby was really done with things as they were at this point. She shot upwards, pouncing on her sister and sending them toppling to the ground. They grappled together, rolling and pushing the other to the side when they could. Ruby, with some luck, coming out on top and pinning Yang to the dirt beneath them. She huffed as she straddled the blonde, trying to grab the other's hands to stop her from hitting back. Out of the two of them, Yang always had the upper hand when it came to strength and Ruby had figured out early that if she couldn't take Yang out fast then she'd always lose the fight. Yang reached up, locking fingers in Ruby's crimson tipped sable hair, and yelled as she tried to pull her off. Ruby winced as her head was forced sideways and Yang used the distraction as an opportunity to latch onto Ruby's arm with her teeth. Ruby flinched back at that, disentangling them for a moment as she rubbed her forearm. They glared, neither moving to continue the fight.

That bite really hurt, but as Ruby took a second to look at it; Yang hadn't broken skin only left a ring of small marks. Yang herself was sporting a scratch on her cheek from Ruby's tackle. Ruby scowled again, "Cheater."

"Whatever. It's not like you could beat me in a fight anyway."

They sulked and Yang moved to sit up. She rubbed at her cheek, Ruby having nicked her during the tackle, and tsked. "Don't you want to know why she left?"

Ruby looked at her. As much as the thought had burned at her earlier in the week, she couldn't say that she truly did. Raven had her reasons, whatever they were, and Ruby didn't really have the want or time to find them out. "Well, Dad and Uncle Qrow did say that she probably had a reason."

"And don't you want to know what it was? Because I would like to know why she'd just leave us. Or why she hasn't come back to see us just once. I wanna know why we weren't good enough for her to stick around."

"Yang..."

"I wanna know what was wrong with us- wrong with me that she would just up and leave and never come back."

"Dad and Uncle Qrow might-"

"Dad can't answer because half the time he can't even remember we're around and Uncle Qrow can't because half the time he isn't. The only person we could have asked was Mom. And she's gone now. She's gone, and Dad needs someone to help him because we can't and Uncle Qrow isn't around enough. We don't have a choice."

Ruby looked around them, taking in their situation. She could understand Yang's stance, but still, there had to be a better way to go about things. "I'm not saying that I don't want to find Raven; I just think that finding her tonight probably isn't how we should do this. I don't think she's here."

"We don't have anywhere else we can look."

"I know."

"We have to try."

"I know."

"You know but you don't care."

Ruby looked at her in confusion. "Why do you think I don't care? I care."

Yang shot her a defiant sneer. Ruby couldn't brace herself quick enough as Yang lashed out at her, words heated and aimed to hurt.

"No, you don't. If you did you wouldn't keep stopping us or trying to get us to turn around. You don't care about trying to find my mom. You don't care about helping me. And you don't care about Dad. All you care about is staying out of trouble."

"That's not true!"

"I'm gonna call things like I see it. And that's how I see it. You're just a big baby that cares about nobody but herself."

Ruby was one line away from throwing herself back into the scuffle when Yang stiffened. The brunette watched as her sister's mouth dropped open, the color draining from her cheeks, as her eyes latched onto something beyond her shoulder. Slowly, she shifted in place as she turned.

She wanted to scream.

Not ten paces from her stood a beowolf in all its terrible wonder. Red eyes gazed so coldly at her that Ruby was extremely aware of her body locking up in fright. She unconsciously held her breath, sure that this was it. This was how they were going to die. Because they _were_ going to die. She could just barely hear Yang shuffle behind her, probably to run away like she should be trying to do. She really should be trying to move.

Hands grab at her roughly and Yang nearly drags her to her feet. They sprint, deeper onto the path, trying to put as much distance between themselves and that monster as their small feet were capable of. Ruby pushed ahead. She was always the faster of the two and her fear did nothing but help her speed. In her panic, she somehow managed to latch onto Yang's hand, tugging the other girl with her. The further they ran, the more unkempt their footing became, grass sprouting in patches around them as the forest worked slowly to reclaim its hold.

It was dark, she was scared, and they were going to die.

A small part in the back of her mind wondered if they were running into an ambush. Uncle Qrow had once told them that beowolves came in packs. He said that wherever you saw one of the ugly things, then you could be sure that there were more of them around. He'd also said that the best thing to do if you ran into one on its own was to kill it before it could get its howl out. The nasty suckers just loved calling in other Grimm to the party.

He told them that he'd teach them how to kill Grimm when they were older. Ruby really wished that she had been old enough for that lesson now.

Yang was the one to stop them. Panting harshly and covered in sweat, that was probably more from fear than the sprint, she looked around. "I think we lost it."

"I don't think so. We need to keep going. Uncle Qrow said that they also come in a group. There are probably a lot more that are going to show up."

"You're probably right, but we're out of road," then she pointed to their left and grinned tightly, "and look what I found."

Ruby couldn't believe it. Before her was the house from the photo. It was in terrible shape and looked like it would fall in any day now, but it was there. Yang was right. For a moment, she forgot that their lives were in danger. She took in a quick breath. "Yeah, okay. Okay. We can use this. We can hide in there for now and try to leave in the morning?"

She'd said it as a question, but really, they both knew that was their only real option.

They took off for the cabin, coming to the door quickly. Yang jiggled the knob, frowned, and jiggled it again. Ruby could just hear her mumble under her breath that the stupid thing should come on and open up already. So they were locked out. That wasn't good. Turning around, she cringed. Just beyond the fence was the beowolf. She just knew it was the same one from before. Things just got a whole lot worse. She backed up, putting her back to the door and leaned towards her sister. There was no way she was taking her eyes off of that thing.

"Yang, if you're gonna open the door, you should really do it right now!" Ruby whisper-shouted. Red eyes drilled into her as the beowolf sat. "Like right now, right now!"

"I'm trying!"

The beowolf tilted its head upwards and howled, the sound piercing the air and making the girls flinch. Ruby tensed. It was calling for other Grimm. They needed to get out of there. Now. Her heart threatened to thump its way out of her chest as she grabbed Yang's wrist and pulled them over the railing. If they couldn't get into the house then they needed to run. She pulled Yang faster, not caring at how the blonde almost tripped over herself, as they fled into the woods behind the cabin. They could barely see ahead of them. Darkness swallowed them, hiding the monsters they could hear rustling in the shadows of the forest around them.

Yang stumbled again, catching her toe on a root, and nearly took them both to the forest floor. They could hear that beowolf behind them, trotting to keep pace with them. Ruby wished the thing would just kill them already instead of playing with them like this. It'd had so many chances to finish them off. Still, she ran on, never loosening her hold on Yang's hand.

She was so focused on putting one foot in front of the other that she couldn't react in time to the paw that swiped at her. Coarse fur and dense bone smacked her side, sending her rolling across the ground. Her grip on Yang faltered and disappeared. Blearily, she could still hear Yang; the blonde had shouted something, probably her name. The more her senses returned to her, the more she hurt. One of the beowolf's claws had nicked her arm and she could just feel her blood drip down the limb. She needed to get up because if she didn't, she would die. She needed to get up because Yang was still screaming her name.

Shakily getting to her knees, she brought her head up and looked for Yang. The blonde stood between her and the pack. It would seem that the rest had finally shown up.

The largest of them paced slowly in front of the group. The thing had more bone plating on its body than the rest of the beowolves combined. It sniffed at the ground then pawed at the dirt, carving lines as it drug its paw back to itself. Ruby tried to think back to anything her uncle had told her about beowolves, trying to come up with a way out of this hopeless situation. Uncle Qrow had told her that the Grimm were dumb, but they worked just like any other animals. You had the small fry and then you had the leaders. He'd said that you could always tell which ones were the leaders because they were meaner. They were bigger. Older. But he made sure that she understood that they were smarter. He'd told her that humans had called them alphas and that if she were to ever see one, she should run. Run as far and fast as she could and hope that the thing didn't hunt her down.

Yang was trembling. She held her hands in front of herself, fists clenched, but shaking badly. No doubt, she'd remembered what Uncle Qrow had said, too. Ruby pushed herself to her feet. This was really it. They were going to die.

The alpha stalked up to Yang, baring its maw at her face and letting its breath wash over her. It reeked of rot and Yang stumbled backward into Ruby. The alpha watched them steady each other before letting out a bark, the sound deep and unnatural. Two wolves broke off from the rest, coming to either side of their leader. The largest Grimm proceeded to strut around the girls, eyeing up first the blonde then her sister before it seemingly came to a decision.

Ruby cried out as the alpha bit onto her cloak, kicking her feet as the beast lifted her from the ground. She reached out towards Yang and could only cry out again as one of the other two wolves batted her sister to the ground. Yang's head bounced off the forest floor with a dull thud. The blonde groaned as she curled into herself, clutching at the back of her head.

They were moving. Ruby kicked at the alpha's chest and tried to wiggle out of her cloak to get back to Yang. The other beowolves had broken their line and were now starting to surround Yang. If she didn't do something soon, she would lose her sister in that sea of evil.

She struggled harder when she heard the first scream. Her cloak was digging into the underside of her chin. Still kicking for all she was worth, she wrestled with the fasten; if she could just get it off, she could get back to Yang. She could still see her. The beowolves were racking her with their claws, never more than one at a time, leaving crimson trails in their wake. Even now, when they had both girls at their mercy, they were still playing with them. Ruby frantically shouted Yang's name as the beowolf closest to the blonde's head gave her face a testing lick.

Yang curled into herself as tightly as she could, trying to give the beowolves as little room to hurt her as possible. Ruby called out to her again, still hanging from the alpha's jaws.

Finally, her fingers caught on the button, pushing it through its hole and she flopped to the ground. She rolled quickly as she landed on her injured side, sucking in a quick breath as she was reminded of the cut on her forearm. The alpha didn't even move. Red eyes drilled into her as she got to her feet, the large head of the alpha coming down to her eye level. Mockingly, the alpha opened its jaw, letting her cloak crumple on the dirt between them. Ruby glared back as she tried to stop her body from shaking, but her head whipped around as Yang cried out again.

A beowolf had her by her hair, using the golden locks to drag her sister upright. It dragged its tongue down her face and Yang whimpered. She brought her hands up to push it away, Ruby beginning to sprint at the circle to get to her.

Fangs closed around Yang's upper arm.

The girls screamed.

Yang kept screaming as the other beowolf backed away with her arm, anguish and tears painting her face as fragmented moonlight fought through the canopy to fall on the area. Her body thrashed as the original beowolf still kept its grip of her hair. Ruby pushed herself to go faster. She needed to get there faster. The beowolf lifted Yang higher and Ruby could only watch as the next monster shifted forwards and latched onto Yang's leg. Yang had tried to kick out at her attackers, the short limb not even coming close to where she'd aimed it. A wet crunch entered her ears and Yang wailed.

In moments, Ruby had lost half of her sister.

She sobbed as she willed herself to sprint faster. She had to reach Yang. Yang needed her.

Ruby pumped her feet faster, not noticing the red hue beginning to cover her body. From that moment, two things happened. Ruby broke through the circle of wolves, her momentum enough to send her speeding into the beowolf holding her sister and knocking it back. In the next instance, she grabbed Yang around the waist and spun. Petals and blood bloomed around them as she jumped over the downed wolf, coming to rest a few mere feet from the rest.

She bent to the side and puked. The world had rubber banded around her, snapping in and out of speeds she hadn't experienced before. Her insides felt like they were being pushed outwards as she tried to settle her stomach. But she had done it. She'd reached-

Yang. Yang was being so quiet now.

Ruby wiped her mouth and turned to her sister. The stumps where her right arm and leg used to be were bleeding. They were bleeding a lot. Ruby looked down at herself. There was more blood on her clothes now than there had been before she grabbed Yang. But it was okay, right? She would be okay. Ruby would just need to do what she did just now to get them away from the Grimm and find Yang help. She just had to do whatever that was again.

Almost as if it could read her thoughts, the alpha clawed her side. For the second time that night, Ruby skipped off of the ground. She slammed into a tree, back first, knocking the air from her. Her head knocked against the bark, dazing her. She rolled onto her front and sobbed as her body throbbed. She yelled as the alpha just watched her. It was still near Yang. It was going to make her watch as it toyed with her sister. It wanted her to watch as it killed her.

It's bone covered paw came down on the unconscious blonde, pressing onto the stump of her thigh. At first, Yang only looked disgruntled, but as the alpha put more weight onto it, she slowly built back into her wails from before. Ruby crawled towards them, half blindly moving in their direction as her vision blurred from her tears and blood. Her side twinged, begging her not to stretch her arms out again.

Yang needed her.

She could get them out of here.

She needed to get Yang.

She had to reach Yang.

She had to save her.

Her world faded to white.

There were no more screams or sounds of shuffling paws; just her body reminding her that she was in pain. But underneath the pulsing from her head and side came something else. It filled her senses until it was all she could comprehend. She was burning. She felt the heat scorch her from the inside as it pushed its way out. The light was consuming her. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't move. She wanted it to stop. It had to.

Her body shuddered as the light died down and she gasped for air. The world was fading from her again, this time surrendering to the blackness on the edges of her vision. Before succumbing to the darkness, she stilled, head turning towards the frantic steps approaching them. Were more Grimm coming?

* * *

Qrow was not in a great mood. Raven studied him for a moment as she leaned on the wall beside the entrance. He'd used their link to call upon her, using her portal to help him move the girls to the hospital. Tonight was the fastest he'd ever flown between the island and mainland, but it still didn't feel like he'd moved fast enough. It seemed he'd always be too late when it really mattered.

Now she watched him as he paced the concrete in front of Vale's hospital, silently berating himself and probably Taiyang as well. Still, as worried as she felt, she wouldn't stick around too much longer. Being back in Vale was pushing things enough; she didn't want to risk a confrontation with Taiyang as well. Pushing off from the wall, she drew her sword and slashed the air before her, the low pitched hiss enough to draw her brother's attention as he paused and turned to her. Pairs of rouge locked onto each other in silent communication before Qrow huffed and looked towards the portal.

"You're leaving? Can't even wait for news about Yang and Ruby?"

"If something comes up then I'm sure you'll let me know."

Qrow's brow twitched. "Raven, you can't be serious. The girls need you."

"No. They have you." She sheathed her sword. "I do care about them, but I care more about their future safety than their current comfort. Our tribe 'needs' me. One of us needs to take command or they'll hunt both of us down." She paused as he shot a scathing look at her portal. Years on and he was still so bitter about this. "If it will comfort you, I have made changes to the tribe. I know it may not seem like much, all things considered, but I have still been acting on our plan. We both knew things would pan out like this. We both knew that when it came down to it, I would take up the lead because we both knew that I'm far better suited to such. Plus, you were never any good at giving orders, baby brother."

Raven started towards her portal, the red circle casting a muted glow over her surroundings. Qrow tsked but didn't move to stop her.

"Just take better care of my daughters for me. Keep them as far away from the tribe as you can."

"And what about you?"

"I'll continue to protect them in the one way I can for now. I just hope that you and Tai don't make me regret it."

He watched her step through her opening before it sealed shut. Raven was gone and he didn't know when he would see her again. Frustration flared within him, forcing his semblance to spike. The entrance doors shot open, the left side shifting back and forth while the right stuck in its open position. Fantastic.

Qrow stomped over to a bench and plopped onto it, head in hands as elbows came to rest on knees.

If the girls hadn't lived through that, he didn't know what he would've done. He had so many questions to sort through as they tumbled around in his head. Just what had provoked them into going out there? What were they trying to find? They'd been told time and time again how dangerous it could be. He'd made sure to instill in them just how much of a threat the Grimm were. What had they been thinking? What was more important than staying safe? And where was Tai?

He'd called the older blond nearly three hours ago, yelling into his scroll that the man should make his way over immediately or so help him Qrow would kick his ass. Was it too much to ask that he at least act like he cared right now? Qrow didn't think so.

Frustration mounted in him again. If anyone should be here now, it was Taiyang Xiao Long.

"Qrow Branwen?"

Ruby orbs shifted behind his fingers as he looked upon an older man. He returned to his feet and held out his hand, the shorter man grasping his firmly. There was strength in his grip and tired gaze, something that comforted Qrow as he released his hold.

Dr. Broer Wolk, if his nametag was to be believed, introduced himself as the physician in charge of the girls as of the moment. Running a tanned hand through greying, blue hair, he explained that he normally didn't perform on children, but he was on call when the girls were brought in so he was the one to perform their surgeries. Come the morning once everything had settled, they would have a new primary physician to handle things from then onwards. But as of now, if there were anything he could do for them, he would be happy to help.

Qrow got straight to the point. "How are they?"

Wolk sighed and his frown deepened. "I take it by that sword on your back that you're no run of the mill civilian, correct? Would you like a huntsman's answer or would you prefer we use within the walls' speak?"

He didn't even hesitate. "Huntsman. I need the truth."

"They're in bad shape." Wolk started and gestured back to the bench. Waiting for Qrow to sit, he continued, "I'll start with Ms. Rose as she's the easier of the two for now. She has eight lacerations, one to the forearm; five to her side that stretch from her right hip around to her left shoulder blade; and two to the scalp. They were deep but with proper care, she'll have nothing to worry over except scarring. The bottom of her ribcage is littered with cracks, the right side again being the most damaged. Beyond that, she is suffering from a severe concussion and aura depletion. We have her in a room ready for you, but do be mindful of the equipment. Miss Rose will be drip fed small doses of aura stimulant until we can get hers back up to a stable level, though that will be tricky since she's so young. We should count her lucky; had it not been for her aura, the wound to her side could have been much worse.

"Now," Wolk paused, taking in a deep breath, "Miss Xiao Long, on the other hand, is a very different matter. The numerous lacerations covering her body and the loss of her right arm and leg are the most obvious injuries. She came in already in a state of hypovolemic shock, that is to say, that the amount of blood she'd lost was life-threatening. She is also concussed, though I don't believe it is as bad as Miss Rose's, but couple that with the shock and I don't think I need to explain to you how concerning this situation is. And unlike Miss Rose, she doesn't have an aura to help her. Now, while I do believe-"

"Qrow."

Qrow's eyes flickered ahead to the disheveled blonde before him. He'd been so focused on Wolk that he hadn't even noticed Tai's approach. The man was a mess, with dark bags beneath his eyes and reeking of booze. He looked dazed and uncomfortable as he panted, the upper portion of his shirt drenched in sweat. Tai must have run the rest of the way from the docks. Irritation flared within the sable-haired man immediately.

"Tai. Nice to see you finally show up."

Taiyang flinched and frowned deeply at his teammate. "Getting transport from Patch to Vale at this time of night isn't easy. But that's not why we're here." Turning to Wolk, Taiyang asked, "Where are my girls?"

"I'm sorry, but you are?"

"Taiyang Xiao Long," Tai grunted, "Their father."

"Right then," Wolk took that answer with just a grain of doubt but let it go as Qrow nodded in agreement, "As I was just saying to Mr. Branwen; the girls are in their rooms. You're both free to visit Miss Rose together. Her room can be found on the left wing, third floor. Room 311. As for Miss Xiao Long, with her situation as it is, she's been placed within our ICU. She can have only one visitor at a time. I've gone ahead and bent some rules for you for tonight, but I request that from tomorrow onwards, you two follow the visiting hours rules set by the hospital. For now, you both may spend the night with Miss Rose, but only one of you may check in on Miss Xiao Long for an hour."

With that, Wolk excused himself, stopping just inside the hospital doors to pry the right side door back into place. Qrow waited for the doctor to be out of sight before rounding on his teammate.

He stopped himself just before Taiyang, glaring at the blond like he was sizing him up. "Where the hell were you tonight! Why the fuck didn't you stop them!" He nearly growled as he brought his hands up to grip Tia's collar. "Why didn't you tell me they were gone when I got there?! You let me in! You told me that they were in bed! Why the fuck would you lie like that?!"

Taiyang shoved him off weakly and nearly stumbled from the effort. "Because I didn't know! I thought they'd gone to bed earlier. I had no idea they'd snuck out."

"Yeah, sure. And while I was out tearing through Patch to find them; where were you?"

Taiyang flinched again. "I-"

"You nothing!" Qrow cut him off. "You wallowed on your drunken ass until I called you. You sat there while they were being chased, mauled by Grimm because you're too pathetic to act like a father to the girls you helped make!"

"This isn't my fault!" Taiyang argued. Qrow's clenched fist lashed outwards, scoring a solid hit on Taiyang's cheek, sending the blond to the ground. The fire in his blue eyes flared before dying down again as he looked upon Qrow. The man was livid, but more than that, he was distressed. It was an expression he hadn't seen on Qrow since he'd learned of Summer's death months before.

"We are both to blame for this," Qrow ground out, "Don't you for one second think anything else. You neglected them and I was a fool for trusting your words over my instincts. Because of us, they nearly died."

"Qrow..."

The red-eyed huntsman turned his back to him, head still bent downwards, and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'm taking the girls to Ozpin after this. Clearly, we can't take care of them on our own."

"Qrow, you can't just take my daughters from me-"

"Ozpin'll will make sure they're well taken care of and Glynda can keep them in check."

"You're not seriously-"

"We failed, Taiyang! And our failure nearly cost them their lives... I'm not able to stick around without risking killing them with my semblance and you won't even come out of your head for a few minutes to be their father. Raven's not an option and Summer is... Summer is gone. You were the last - the only good option left. And look where that got us."

Qrow began heading inside at a slow pace. "I'm going to see Yang first. You can have the last thirty minutes. Once they're able to be discharged, we're going to take them to Beacon. After that, I'll figure out what to do with you. For now, I have calls to make. Thanks to tonight, it looks like I'll be owing a lot of people a lot of favors."

* * *

**Hello everyone and thanks for reading this far. This is an idea I've been mulling over since November, spending that time creating and arranging the barest of story outlines before settling on the start of the one before you. I have to say, this whole thing took me the better part of the last two weeks just to pick a good draft and edit it to Hell. Honestly, I should edit it some more but I'm just sick of rereading this so please excuse me if there were things I missed. I used Grammarly (the free version, that is) to get the bulk of my grammar and spelling mistakes, but if there is anything I can do to improve on this chapter going forward, then please let me know. I would love the feedback.**

**So now that I have the obligatory 'review me please' out of the way, I'd like to talk about what path I plan to follow with the story going forward. First off, there will be action. It's not something I've ever focused on before nor will it be the focus of this fanfic, but it will be included. If for no other reason than I want to branch out of my comfort zone and improve my writing. So any criticisms and tips for action scenes that will come along in the far future will be greatly appreciated. **

**What I do intend to greatly focus on and base this story around are character relationships. Hence the title (because I'm not at all that creative. Seriously, if any of you can come up with a better title then PM me and we'll talk. Please.). I want to practice developing relationships and common grounds between characters. I want to practice putting to words how slight interactions, no matter how meaningful or inconsequential, can change a character. I just want to practice developing bonds. Again, any pointers on this front would be awesome. **

**Will there be shipping? **At this point, yes. Smut as well if I feel comfortable enough. Never wrote that before so I'll be practicing off to the side. It will be another thing worth stepping out of my comfort zone to figure out. Though most relationships will be slow-burns unless the plot calls for otherwise. Some things I just don't want to rush through. There will be more focus on building friendships/rivalries at all times though.

**Will there be OCs? **For a scene here or there, yes. Like Wolk, any other OC will serve some purpose for the time they have but they are not the focus of this story nor will they come around often. Personally, I'm not a big fan of OCs but RWBY has a severe lack of named characters that aren't fighters or Schnees or integral to the plot so I'll do what I must. I'm just more interested in developing canon characters.

**Will the plot follow canon events? **Yes and no. Or better yet, loosely. If I can work them in and still have everything make sense then I'll figure it out.

**Will there be flashbacks? **No. Story wise, I don't intend to break from current scenes. There will be abridged stories told from the relevant characters and once it needs be, I will create a separate fanfic with each of those side stories and expand on everything there. That will probably be filled with OCs but for world building purposes, I'll do what I must. I just don't think I can work those in and keep a comfortable pace. I know that having to go from one fanfic to another just for background information can be a pain, but I'll try to keep it to a minimum.

**Will there be character deaths? **As of right now? Not if I can help it. I don't think I have the heart to kill off a character. Life threatening injuries, sure, but death is a bit much for me. I'm a softy so I really don't plan on doing that. The characters can't grow if they're dead.

**Will every chapter be this length?** Hopefully? I've set a hard limit of no more than 10k per chapter. Mostly so that I don't burn out while editing. I don't want make a chapter a slog to get through so I'm hoping the limit will help me with pacing, but I really just don't want to unintentionally overdo something.

**How often will it update? **I'm going for once a month to every two weeks. Aiming for midnights on Wednesdays. And that's me being generous with the time frame. This way I don't rush the story and I can focus on giving each chapter ample attention for quality purposes.

**With all that in mind, that's why I decided to just go completely AU with RWBY and work on building the characters from the ground up within reason. I don't intend to make any character too different from their canon counterpart, but I do recognize that there will be noticeable changes to them as the story progresses. As of the moment, the characters with the most abrupt changes are Ruby and Yang, but I'll expand more on that using the story instead of this A/N. **

**I think I've covered the gist of this fanfic. Really, I just wanted to put that out there so you all could get an idea of how things will go. If this story is for you then that's great and I'll be happy if you decide to stick it out with me, but if not then I hope this will be enough information for you to determine if this fanfic will be a waste of time. No need to come back if you know it won't be something you'll enjoy. If there is anything you would want to know then please ask me. I would be happy to reach out to you and address any questions you may come up with. Some discussion may help me come up with more ideas for this fanfic.**

**All future A/N will be significantly shorter than this (if they happen at all) and consist mostly of responses to reviewers. Again, thank you for reading, please drop a review, and I'll see you around midnight in the next two weeks to a month depending on how things go. For now, I have stories to catch up on and review myself and I'm so looking forward to this break. Goodnight everyone. **


	2. Chapter 2

2-2

Two weeks.

It had taken her fourteen days to finish up in Vacuo, hop onto the closest airship to Vale, and return to Beacon. The academy's silhouette broached the horizon in the distance, a speck that was quickly gaining a more detailed and colorful shape as the bullhead drifted closer. To Ruby, the school hadn't changed a bit in the years she had been away. Beacon stood, spiraling towers and wide buildings situated near the broad cliffside of Vale, the light of the morning sun and a myriad of forest tones reflecting off the glass that comprised the outside of the headmaster's office. A small, wry smile slipped onto her face as she looked at Ozpin's tower. Leave it to Ozpin to make his office into the literal beacon of Beacon.

Silver irises flicked back over to the city sprawled just below her. Vale hadn't changed much, either. It had become a bit grayer than before with more buildings dotting the lots of the industrial districts to the west and new apartments beginning to slowly creep towards the wall, but it still kept the same general look of the Vale she remembered. Bits of color splashed here and there made up the effort residents had put in to break up the monotony. As impressive as it was, she had a feeling that things would be better if people tried to coordinate more often. But this was Vale, where the citizens worked together by not working together yet somehow still managed to do something good. The lack of group work and their results in spite of that fact had come to be something she'd admired over the years.

Her weight shifted slightly as the bullhead began its descent. Ruby turned from the window to make her way towards the doors as she and the other passengers prepped their gear for their final departure. She placed herself a few feet behind the last person and fiddled with her hood, pulling the red fabric lower on her face. The ship trembled as it docked on Beacon's airfield. Its main doors opened, letting the early morning light spill in and bathe its occupants in the warmth of pale golden rays. Ruby followed the mass of hopeful initiates at a leisurely pace.

How long had it been since she'd last stepped foot in Vale, or Beacon for that matter? Two or three years now? Three and a half? She kept her eyes on her feet as she disembarked the bullhead and readjusted her bag, catching how the smooth metal flooring shifted into the rough tar of Beacon's airfield. Around her, she could hear the beginnings of nervous mutterings and shuffles. Three other bullheads staggeredly docked alongside her own, offloading their own passengers. They were among the first wave of students and the area was slowly becoming more crowded. Ruby grunted as she was shoved aside by a tall blonde.

She watched the lanky boy pushed his way through the rest of the crowd, grunting in what was probably meant to be taken as an apology to anyone he brushed against as he quickly stumbled forward. He kept one hand firmly over his mouth, releasing harsh, quick breaths. For a moment, Ruby considered heading after him to see if he was okay. Though she scrapped that idea just as quickly as it had come to her, since even if she did offer any assistance, there wasn't much she could really do for him. She continued to watch as the boy made it to the entrance of the docking bay before folding over a trashcan and relieving himself. Other students gave him a wide berth and Ruby found herself doing the same as she passed him.

Ruby followed the flow of bodies before separating at the auditorium, instead turning away and following the path around the building before breaking off in the direction of Ozpin's office. The glare of the tower wasn't as harsh as it had been on the bullhead now that she was closer. She stopped before the CCT and took it all in, smiling to herself as she noticed not a streak to be found on any individual glass pane. Ozpin must have brought a crew in recently to scrub the whole tower down in preparation for this week. She crossed the few feet between her and the building, setting her bag down and leaning beside the entrance.

Her scroll told her that it was barely passed 07.50. Taking a moment, she sent off a text then pocketed the device. A cool breeze swept across the landscape, fluttering her cloak and taking her thoughts back to Vacuo's harsher climate. She couldn't say for sure if she missed the dry, scorching air of the kingdom's desert lands. Vacuo, unlike Vale, offered no comforting breezes or cool air. You wouldn't find a swath of forests and shade in the desert. Vacuo bathed its residents in the sun, the central icon of their kingdom, and prided itself on the perseverance of its people in its harsh landscape.

She looked up at the sky and let her thoughts drift with the passing clouds. That was another thing Vacuo didn't seem to have much of. Well, in the sky, anyway.

"Hey."

Ruby shifted her attention to take in the newcomer, smiling when her eyes met Yang's. She pushed herself off of the wall and forward into a hug. They embraced each other tightly before drawing back, Yang still palming Ruby's shoulder as they looked each other over.

They'd both grown during their time apart. Ruby still found herself to be an inch or two shorter than the blonde, with a more lithe build whereas Yang had conditioned her body for raw power. Her sister's style had shifted from the long sleeved tees and khakis of her early teen years to what now looked more like a biker's outfit, the brown leathers and orange fabric being accentuated by a splash of purple by her knee. Yang had continued to dawn the tans and oranges that she was so fond of despite being stuck in Atlas for three years. Her gloved hands slid down Ruby's arms as she smiled softly.

"Look at you, all grown up. You even kept the cape."

Ruby rolled her eyes playfully. "And the corset. And the skirt. Didn't figure you would be dressed like you'd hop onto Bumblebee at any moment. I'm loving all the leather though."

"What can I say? It kept me pretty warm while I was there and, most importantly, I look amazing. Not even Ironwood could stop me from throwing this outfit together, no matter how much he'd rather I dressed like one of his toy soldiers," Yang tossed her hair, the blonde locks coming to rest behind her shoulders as she showed off, gesturing Ruby to follow up.

Ruby lifted her cloak from her frame slightly, giving Yang a glimpse of the black and red ensemble beneath. Ruby had indeed kept her penchant for wearing skirts and corsets during the time she'd traversed Vacuo, though now she had included a white cotton blouse to the outfit. The sleeves on her arms flared, coming to an end in black cuffs that wrapped most of her forearm down to the wrist. Gone were her tights, now replaced with sheer thigh highs and taller boots. Ruby had matured in many ways since her time as a fifteen-year-old, with the most noticeable change outside of her height being her hair. She hadn't found much time to properly tend the sable and crimson locks, finding the task of tying the now waist length material in a low ponytail and draping it over her shoulder much easier than constantly trying to find someone skilled enough to cut it.

Yang reached forward and gently lifted Ruby's hair, holding it between them for a moment. Her fingers played with the ends, brushing against the crimson coloring. She smirked. "Whatever happened to keeping it short? Not that this doesn't suit you, but you never used to like it when your hair grew passed your shoulders."

"Lack of time, for the most part, and now I've just gotten used to it," Ruby answered, "I kind of grew to like it after a while anyway."

"It looks good on you. You should let me even out the ends sometimes. And probably give you a crash course on proper hair care."

"Yes for the first half and we'll see about the second."

Yang released her strands as Ruby turned and picked up her bag, readjusting the straps upon her shoulders. They treaded forward into the tower, standing beside each other as they waited for the elevator to take them to Ozpin's office. The doors opened to a well lit open area, Ozpin's desk centered and surrounded both above and below by massive gears. Ozpin stood waiting, back turned to them, and if Ruby hadn't known any better, she would think he'd yet to notice their arrival. They strode forward and occupied two of the four seats in front of his desk, placing their items in the vacant chairs as they sat.

Ozpin sipped from his mug, steam drifting away from his head in as he lowered his drink in a slow, steady fashion. He faced the academy and early morning sun, gazing beyond his tower in thought with one hand holding his mug and the other having its ever-present grip on his cane. He still wore that same green suit the sisters had last seen him in.

Ruby pushed her hood back, the fabric coming to bunch on her shoulders. "Good morning Headmaster."

"What a wonderful morning it is indeed," Ozpin responded, turning finally and going to his desk, "It's good to see you girls again. I trust your flights over were pleasant?"

Yang shrugged. "It was about as alright as it could be. The airship I was on before only got attacked once on the way, and we took care of the Grimm pretty quickly."

"Mine made it without any problems," Ruby added.

"That's good." Ozpin nodded. "What did you think about the other kingdoms?"

"It was really hot/cold," the girls answered together.

The headmaster smiled. Three years apart and yet they still managed something like that. "But would you say it was time well spent?"

"I fought a lot of grim and helped people, so that's a definite yeah for me," Ruby told him, "I just wish I had been more prepared for the climate. And the sandstorms. I got sand in so many places I didn't want it to be."

Ozpin chuckled and turned to the blonde. Her head tilted side to side as she thought about her stay in Atlas. "Mostly it was freezing. We stayed behind the walls for the most part and I spent a lot of that time readjusting after getting fitted with a new arm and leg. So I ended up sparring with people more often than going into the field, but I did manage to learn some new things while there so I'd say it was a good trip."

"That's good to hear. Our staff will be glad to see you've both returned," the headmaster smiled, "You've been sorely missed. Especially by Doctor Oobleck and Professor Port."

At hearing those names, both girls groaned, Ruby tossing her head back as Yang loosely crossed her arms. Ozpin chuckled, moving back slightly so that he could open one of his desk drawers. He pulled out two scrolls and slid them towards each girl. Leaning back again, he crossed his legs, the hand on his cane rubbing its head rhythmically. "Pleasantries aside, there was something else I'd asked you here to discuss."

The sisters quickly came to attention, tensing in their seats.

"Now, now, there's no need for that. It's not quite fieldwork."

Relaxing slightly, Ruby leaned forward and asked, "Then what is it?"

"Firstly, I'd like you both to take these scrolls. They're yours. With them, you'll be able to access your old residence and contact our circle." He watched as each girl picked up their device before continuing, his hand rising from his drink and tapping a few keys on the surface of his desk. A screen flickered to life between them, presenting the images of four students.

Ruby cast her eyes over the pictures, lingering on the blond boy from earlier. He looked so much better when he wasn't barfing into a trashcan.

"Also, I wanted to inform you of three seemingly high-interest individuals who will be attending Beacon alongside you if all goes well tomorrow. If you don't mind opening your scrolls, you'll find their information saved in your files."

Yang opened her files and brought her scroll between them as Ruby chose to pocket her own. On the screen were three names, only one being vaguely recognizable to the younger.

"Why is Weiss Schnee coming here?" Yang turned to Ozpin flashing him a confused expression.

"Who's that?" Ruby asked her.

"She is the current heir of the Schnee Dust Company," Ozpin informed her, "As for her reasoning behind her decision to attend Beacon Academy, I can't say. She was one of, if not the first student to submit her application and very adamant about her choice during our interview."

Yang palmed her forehead. "Does Winter know about this?" Then adding for Ruby's sake, "Winter is Weiss's older sister. I spent a lot of time around her while I was in Atlas."

"Possibly."

Yang tsked. "I really don't want to be the one to let her know if she doesn't. She'll probably have a conniption when she hears about this, especially after she bragged so much about Atlas' academy. It's going to be a real shot to her pride to learn that her sister opted out of going there. Opted out with pre-acceptance from Ironwood, no less."

"Okay so I'm beginning to understand why Weiss is so special, but what makes Blake interesting? I've never heard of the Belladonnas before, though I guess that isn't really saying much since I don't pay attention to politics all that much," Ruby paused as she glanced back at the screen before locking silver orbs on the older man once again, "Who is she supposed to be?"

"Ms. Belladonna is the sole daughter of the chieftan of Menagerie." Ozpin opened, selecting her photo and bringing up her information as the other students were filtered off the screen for the time being. "Her situation up to this point has been complicated, as some would say."

"Complicated how?" Yang questioned.

"She disappeared from Menagerie almost five years ago. Up until I received her application, it had been assumed that she was deceased. Ms. Belladonna had cut all ties to her family and practically disappeared off the face of Remnant. Now, while I have my suspicions on what she's involved herself in during that time, I think it would be best if one of you could gather that information."

"Is she a threat?" The blonde looked to him.

"I don't believe so, at least not presently. She seemed defensive during our talk but gave off no malicious intent. Other than hiding her faunus heritage, she acted no different than any other teenage girl." Bringing the other photos back up, Ozpin moved on. "The final individual I want you to watch over is Pyrrha Nikos. Unlike the other two, Ms. Nikos' popularity and celebrity status doesn't put her at any immediate risk, so I don't expect either of you to be near her at all times. I believe that she is beyond skilled enough to protect herself and hold out for assistance should the need arise."

"Then why keep an eye on her?" Ruby inched forward in her seat. She had a feeling that she'd seen Pyrrha's face before but for the life of her she couldn't place where.

Ozpin took on a serious expression as he went to explain. "Ms. Nickos has shown herself to be a girl of exceptional skill and character so far. So exceptional that, should her time in Beacon go well, I would consider inducting her into our circle. I believe that she could come to be a valuable ally. All she needs is time to hone her skills and the right guidance."

"That's pretty serious, Professor," Ruby told him, "If she's really as good as you think she is then I don't know how useful we'll be at 'nudging' her in the right direction. Yang, what do you think?"

"I think she's a secondary priority. It'll be great if she really can take care of herself because we'll already have our work cut out for us just trying to keep track of the other two, especially if we end up on different teams."

"That's true."

"That has already been taken care of," Ozpin drew their attention, "Tomorrow during your initiation, it will be your mission to partner up with Ms. Belladonna and Ms. Schnee. I won't tell you who to chose as I wish to leave you with at least that much freedom. I know we're asking much from you with a four year objective such as this. We wanted to ease some of the burden so it has been decided that you four will form a team."

Ruby's shoulders sagged in relief. Now she would only have to get used to having two strangers constantly around instead of three. Yang reached over to pat her arm, silently acknowledging Ruby's reaction. No matter how much time would go by, Ruby would never truly be a people person, and Yang knew that just as well as she did.

Ozpin gave them a moment before adding, "The plan is for you to find your partners after your year is launched into the Emerald Forest. Glynda will be using her glyph for that so I suggest you ready yourselves well."

"Sounds easy enough. We can just follow their trajectory and land in their general area. It shouldn't be too hard to find them after that," Yang stated.

"So Professor," Ruby called, "What about that guy? I kind of got bumped by him earlier and he didn't seem like much."

"Jaune Arc," Ozpin introduced as he brought up Jaune's file. Jaune had little more information that Blake. "I have a personal interest in this young man."

"Is that good or bad?" Yang questioned.

"Neutral for now. Glynda came to me with reservations about his paperwork, particularly his transcript. Normally we would go on to handle these sorts of things at the following interview, but Mr. Arc was unable to attend for family reasons." Ozpin waved his hand, "Simply put, we aren't too sure he belongs here but we don't have enough information to simply dismiss him so soon either. I ask that if you have the chance tomorrow, observe Mr. Arc."

"No problem," Ruby agreed, watching as Ozpin dismissed his screen and rose from his desk.

"Now, I believe it's time for us to make our way to the other students. One of us has a speech to give."

* * *

The sisters slid into the back of the auditorium, staying close to the exit as they scanned for their future partners. Ruby nudged the older blonde as her eyes found Blake, the sable-haired beauty off on the right side of the room near the windows, back fixed to the wall and bored gaze directed at Ozpin. Even from this distance, she gave off the air of someone who wanted to not be bothered, arms crossed loosely as she gave a soft sigh.

"Dibs on Belladonna," Yang muttered.

"Why not Weiss? You already know Winter. Wouldn't her sister be better?"

"Nope," Yang disagreed. "If Weiss is anything like Winter, I think I'll pass."

Ruby sighed. "You know, saying something like that just makes me not want her either, right?"

"Too bad. Already called dibs."

"Whatever."

The cloaked girl broke off from her sister, heading into the crowd and toward the stage. Weiss hadn't been near Blake or in any of the places Ruby could easily see so she found herself moving forward, slipping between and around bodies quietly. Ozpin would be wrapping up his demotivational speech soon.

As she neared the stage, she took notice first of Jaune Arc. He held himself in what could have been a confident manner if it didn't come off so awkwardly. His right arm lifted, hand treading through his blond strands, and giving Ruby a glimpse of white. She watched as his shoulders dropped dramatically. Jaune deflated before moving off, leaving Ruby to the sight of her partner to be.

Weiss didn't look like much. She was short even in heeled boots, petite, and honestly, unimpressive. Ruby took the girl in, approving of her battle skirt, though she couldn't say she agreed with wearing as much white as Weiss was currently pulling off. Though Ruby had to admit to herself that Weiss had a striking face. Bet she could make some real intimidating expressions.

She had to flick her eyes toward the stage as Weiss looked her way, not wanting to be caught staring. Ozpin turned the students back over to Glynda and headed off, probably back to his tower if she had to take a guess.

"You are free to do as you please until curfew tonight, which is no later than 20.00. We ask that you refrain from causing any disturbances. You will be expected to conduct yourselves in a respectable manner. Remember that it is not too late for you to be expelled from Beacon. You are dismissed."

* * *

Ruby dumped her gear on the cot across from the heiress, pretending to dig through her bag as she thought about a way to approach the girl. Weiss either hadn't noticed her yet or didn't care since she'd busied herself with her luggage. And boy did she have a lot of that. Did she bring her entire wardrobe to Beacon or something?

Further in the room, she could see Yang pick a bed beside Blake's, flashing the faunus a friendly grin as she shoved her bag under the cot. Yang made approaching people look so easy sometimes that Ruby found herself momentarily envious of the blonde before she shook the feeling off. Yang could handle all the people they came across as Ruby found herself rather taking an interest in either their weapons or their grimm problems. It was a simpler life, her preferred way of living, and she had her doubts that it would be changing any time soon.

Another patch of blond funneled into her view, and she observed as Jaune tried to casually walk over to Weiss. He stopped in the aisle, by the foot of her bed and cleared his throat, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword and the other leaving his mouth to fall onto his hip. Ruby had been seeing him a lot today and every occasion hadn't gone too well for the boy. She debated whether she should stick around or leave because whatever he was up to was sure to not go his way and she didn't want to bear witness to that embarrassment. But Yang had already made contact with Blake so she needed to at least try and interact with Weiss before the end of the night. Resigning herself to being the unlucky audience, Ruby planted herself on the cot, crisscrossing her legs and resting her elbows on her knees. Her fingers steepled together as she leaned forward, hiding her mouth behind her hands. She tried to make herself as small as possible, curling into herself beneath her red hood.

Jaune inhaled, seemingly puffing himself up as Weiss finally looked at him, exasperation coloring her features.

"What do you want now?" Her voice came off as both sharp and cold.

"Well, I was thinking that since we have some free time... Maybe you and me could go grab some lunch and after that, maybe take a look around campus," Jaune offered, "Since we're both free right now."

"No."

"Oh, well we don't have to do that," he floundered, "We could just stay right here. I'm okay with just talking with you here if you're busy. Maybe I can help you put away your things? You have a big pile there."

"Don't touch my stuff," Weiss warned.

Ruby nodded to herself. If Jaune were a smart man, he would bail. Obviously, Weiss wasn't in the mood for anything he may offer. But somehow, she had a feeling that Jaune was not that smart a man.

He deflated slightly before trying again, "Ah, how about we start over? I'm pretty sure we haven't even introduced ourselves yet." He flashed her what he thought was a charming smile and offered his hand, "The name's Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it."

Ruby cringed. And here she was thinking that she was socially awkward. But in a sudden turn of events, Weiss gave Jaune a sweet smile and took his offer. Ruby's brows shot skyward. Third times the charm?

"Hello Arc." She shook his hand firmly before retracting her own. "I am Weiss Schnee. Short, sweet, very uninterested in you. Pyrrha!" The heiress shouted and Ruby couldn't even find the time to flinch before a spear sailed passed her and into the hood of Jaune's hoodie. His body hurtled forward, being dragged by the mostly golden weapon before coming to a sudden stop.

Ruby nearly gaped as she stared at Jaune's prone form pinned to the wall, face first. She turned herself trying to see where that had come from and took in an apologetic looking Pyrrha Nikos rushing their way. She almost couldn't believe it. Pyrrha had thrown her spear halfway across the room, only snagging it on Jaune's hoodie, and managed to drag him the rest of the way to the wall. As the redhead passed, she shot Ruby a quick 'sorry'.

"Wow." Ruby breathed. Pyrrha may have been just as accurate as she was whenever she used Crescent Rose's sniper.

Weiss tossed her a look before going back to her things and Ruby shook herself. This was her opening and she intended to at least try to take it. Inhaling, she scooted off her cot and over the foot of Weiss's. "Do you think he's ok?"

"Whether he is or isn't, isn't something I care to know."

"Yeah I guess not," Ruby paused. Hesitantly she turned to completely face Weiss. The shorter girl was agitated, Ruby could sense it, could feel the exasperation bubble just beneath the surface of her alabaster skin as she tried to reign herself back in. "I'm Ruby Rose."

"Weiss Schnee, though I'm sure you already knew that."

"Heh, yeah, front row seat."

"Indeed," Weiss muttered, "If you'll excuse me, I'd like to finish up a few things here by myself. It was a pleasure to meet you, Ruby."

"Oh, um, sure. I'll just let you get back to whatever you were doing." Ruby turned to leave, heading off to Yang and internally patting herself on the back for a job well done. Or just done, depending on how she chose to look at it.

* * *

Yang shadow boxed beside her, bouncing on her feet in preparation for the day ahead. She floated from one foot to the other, side to side, in a chaotic rhythm, stepping forward to throw a punch or backward to dodge her imaginary opponent. Each movement flowed into the next seemingly perfectly, with no wasted effort.

Ruby admired her sister as she sat under a tree, fiddling with the barrel and joints of Crescent Rose. Yang certainly looked to be a better fighter than she had been three years ago. Her punches and kicks weren't as wild as they used to be, instead seeming to be more thought out or calculated. It was a bit strange seeing Yang being so methodical. Maybe that's just what Atlas did to people?

Yang brought her arms down, slowing her hops until she was no longer bouncing in place and came to rest beside her sister. She leaned backward, resting her back against the rough bark and sighed. "Fifteen minutes before we start our four-year babysitting duty. You ready for this?"

"Not really," Ruby answered honestly, hugging Crescent Rose to her chest.

"That's just your nerves speaking." Yang poked at her but backed off when Ruby shot her a look. "Alright. I guess I'm not either, truthfully. Blake is going to be a tough kitty to crack and I'm not sure I'm the best person for the job..."

"Blake's a cat faunus?"

"You really didn't notice her bow twitch last night? I did some more digging while I had the time and both of her parents are faunus. I'm willing to bet she has a pair of ears tied under that bow of hers."

"Cat ears, huh? I bet they're cute." Ruby shook her head. "Do you think Professor Goodwitch will go easy on the glyph this year?"

"Nope. I fully expect her to try to launch every last one of us clear across the forest. This is her yearly stress relief, after all. Plus I still have to give her Ironwood's greetings."

"What? Can't you wait to do that after initiation?"

"Nah, that's no fun."

"Man, this sucks." Ruby pouted, "Why can't we just hop down the cliff? It's basically the same thing."

"Because then we'd all land near each other. It would kind of take away the surprise of bumping into someone and partnering up like that."

"Not like it matters much for us."

"Eh, that's just how the cookie crumbles. Nothing we can do about it but try to eat the crumbs."

Ruby huffed and stood, offering a hand to Yang before they moved forward to meet with their professors at the cliff's edge.

The sable haired girl chose a position near Weiss but as far from Glynda as she could reasonably get. She watched as Yang sauntered towards the older blonde, stopping just to the side of their teacher and say something to her. The cloaked girl was too far away to hear what had passed between the two, but Glynda's face told her enough. Green eyes narrowed on Yang, a vein defining itself near her temple as her jaw clenched. She gripped her crop harder, pointing Yang towards the other students and watching as the brawler took her own spot near Blake. Ruby had a feeling that Yang had sentenced them all to death. Death by Glynda Goodwitch no less. Just why couldn't she wait it out? There were words Qrow wanted her to deliver to Glyda as well, but you wouldn't catch her opening that can of worms before being thrown off a cliff.

Ozpin stepped forward, delivering the instructions and ignoring Jaune when he'd tried to ask a question. Glynda extended her crop, summoning a glyph beneath the students, the round pattern glowing purple before launching everyone upwards. Jaune screamed, flailing head over heels as he went right. He'd probably be alright. Ruby kept her eye on Weiss, using shots from Crescent to adjust her path when needed. In the end, she still sailed beyond the heiress, Weiss using her glyphs to hop to the forest below when she felt she was far enough in the right direction.

Ruby shifted Crescent to her scythe form, hooking the curved blade into trees to slow her descent. She spun around a limb before hitting the ground, landing hard on her feet. Weiss would be 40 meters behind her. She turned on her heels and sprinted.

* * *

When Ruby finally stumbled upon her target, she found the heiress in a scuffle against beowolves. Taking a quick assessment of the field, she was relieved to not see any alphas, but she inched forward slowly, just in case. No point in wasting her element of surprise. Besides, this would be a good time to see what Weiss was capable of.

Weiss brought her rapier up slowly, placing her feet in a starting stance as she glared at her enemies. Ruby found it odd that she hadn't gone on the offensive yet, but held back still. The battle of patience broke as a younger beowolf charged her, sprinting head-on at Weiss. She readied her blade, sidestepping the moment the beowolf lunged, claws splayed and reaching. Her sword thrust forward quickly, piercing an unarmored portion of its torso.

The beowolf yelped before falling limp. She slid the beast from her weapon and reset her stance, eyeing the others. The group had gone from five to four, each one moving to circle the heiress. She turned as the one behind her charged, thrusting forward and impaling the monster through the mouth, the beowolf starting to disintegrate as she brought her arm back.

Four to three. Two had come back together, choosing to attack her as a pair, the closest one barking before lunging at her back. The heiress summoned a glyph below herself, shooting skyward and over the jumping beowulf, slashing its back and she as flipped above it. She bounced off of its back, summoning another glyph to kick off of and back over to the grimm. Bringing out a third glyph directly in front of the beasts face, she activated her sword, ice dust locked and surging forward to pierce the beowolf's skull, before she kicked off of that glyph as well.

Three to two. Ruby felt herself start to breathe easier. Seems like Weiss just needed to get into the groove of things. Now that she was well into the fight, the heiress made sure to not stand in one place for too long. She brought her sword up, spinning the dust chamber and locking in fire dust, lighting her rapier ablaze. Ruby frowned as she looked forward. The beowolves were splitting up, each going for a side. They were going to try to flank her? The cloaked girl readied her scythe and prepared to step in, creeping off to the side of the battle to get closer to Weiss. Weiss swiped horizontally, sending out an arc of flame at one of the grimm, catching it's hind legs as it tried to clear the fire with a jump. It yelped pitifully as it landed, pulling itself towards the heiress with its front legs. Weiss turned her attention to the last standing grimm, using her glyphs to propel herself onwards, sword still burning. She stabbed at the grimm growling as it jumped back. The Grimm growled as it jumped back, trying to avoid her lunge; seeing this, she turned her glyphs black, pushing herself even further and even faster, closing the gap and knicking the beast's forearm.

The beowolf swiped at her, hitting empty air as it created some space for itself. Ruby kept an eye on the downed grimm as it continued to drag itself towards the fight. Those things just never knew when to quit.

Weiss spun her rapier's chamber again, locking in earth dust and thrust the sword downwards, the tip just digging into the ground. Spikes of stone surged upwards forcing the grimm further back. She pivoted, throwing another glyph under herself as she flipped back towards her other opponent, driving the tip of her rapier through its torso.

Two to one. Weiss whipped her blade to the side, slowly walking towards the last beowolf. It growled at her as it paced back and forth before beginning to back away; it was going to run if Weiss didn't finish it off soon. Weiss spun her dust chamber again, locking in the fire dust again. She made no other movement as she stared the lone grimm down, smirking as it continued to back away. Was she letting it go? Why wasn't she charging it?

When it neared Ruby, she pounced, bringing her scythe to bear on the beast. Regardless of what Weiss had planned or not, she wasn't about to let it get away. In one concentrated sweep of her blade, she severed its head from its body, coming to a stop just on the other side of its dissolving corpse. She folded Crescent, holstering it on her back before turning to the heiress.

For a moment, Weiss appeared confused, but that confusion quickly morphed into discontent. She tsked as she sheathed her rapier. "You were not the one I was searching for."

Sable brows scrunched. "Um, okay."

"Whatever. You aren't the partner I want but you're who I have for now. Let's just get to this temple and find that relic so I can return and have this situation sorted out." Weiss said more to herself than to Ruby, though Ruby clearly heard it all. The shorter girl stormed forward, heading in the completely wrong direction.

"Other way."

"Excuse you?"

"You're going the wrong way. The temple is in that direction," Ruby offered, pointing left and behind herself. They'd need to start heading back the way she'd come.

Weiss scoffed and crossed her arms. "And how would you know that?"

"I know how to navigate."

* * *

**Here's chapter two. Can't say I like the way it turned out. Outside of the first three or four paragraphs, everything else was written last night. I thought about just not updating this week after all, but I said I would so here I am doing it. Looks like I'll be heavily editing this chapter (or maybe even replacing it all together), especially in the middle to last scenes. The fight scene was a struggle, and I don't think it turned out that well. If anyone has any suggestions on how I can improve in writing action scenes then please drop a review. In the meantime, I think I'll revisit the show and official manga to get an idea of how to fix it. I definitely need and would appreciate some constructive criticism.**

**Reviews Time: (Yes, I know I answered you all with a PM. Just think of this as me giving a similar answer for the benefit of the other readers.)**

**AcidDrago - Like I said, Ruby will know about her powers but I probably won't touch on it again until much further in the story. I want to build the setting and establish the characters before I dive into her magic.**

**Terkontar - You beautiful man. Thanks for Beta'ing(?) my work and pointing out all those mistakes in the last chapter (and this one, especially since I got it to you at the last minute). You've been so helpful. For the pairings, I'll probably end up going with the typical Whiterose, Bmblby, Arkos, Renora, etc. I really won't know for sure until I get a better feeling for the characters.**

**RedShirt1453 - I have not forgotten what you said about the summary. But I haven't thought of anything better yet either. I still intend to change it sometime in the future, but for now I'll have to leave it as it is until I can come up with something suitable.**

**RayD2Kill - Thanks for pointing out those mistakes. I went back and corrected the last chapter using your and Terkontar's reviews. I'm sorry that chapter two just feels so lackluster compared to chapter one, but just know that I do plan to return to it and hopefully fix it.**

**Heavyarms150 - I'm going to sticky note your review to my screen every time I go to write a chapter. You reminded me of all the things I don't want to do when I start writing about the ships. Luckily for us, I don't plan to seriously delve into the romance for some time.**

**Alucard45 - I'm totally a monster and Yang will get some sweet gear as an apology from me for doing that to her. Just try to be patient with me as I work up to that point. Oh, and more will be explained regarding their family dynamic as the story goes on so I'll let the fic answer the question of why they're so close in age. **


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